Apparatus for contacting gaseous fluids with solids



Jan. 18, 1949. c. E. HEMMIN GER 2,459,425

APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING GASEOUS FLUIDS WITH SOLIDS 7 Original Filed April 1, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l l c H5 :3 5

, ii I I? l E E 5 RIC7LA 654.5 LINE- CA3 nus'r Jan. 18, 1949. c. E. HEMMINGER 2,459,425-

APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING GASEOUS FLUIDS WITH SOLIDS Original Filed April 1, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'YA'POR I N LE 7' Jan. 18, 1949.

C. E. HEMMING E R APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING GASEOUS FLUIDS WITH SOLIDS .Original Filed April 1, 1959 FIG. ,5

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 18, 1949 APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING GASEOUS FLUIDS WITH SOLIDS Charles E. Hemminger, Westfield, N. .L, assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Original application April 1, 1939, Serial No.

265,388. Divided and this application December 11, 1942, Serial No. 468,624

This invention relates to improvements in the continuous conversion of relatively heavy hydrocarbons into valuable hydrocarbon fractions such as those boiling within the gasoline range.

2 Claims. (Cl. 23-288) fresh catalyst, thus completing a cycle of operations.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, selected The object of this invention is to provide such 5 for purposes of illu trati suitable apparatus including a catalyst convey- Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section, ing means as will enable efilcient and economical of an oil cracking apparatus, suitable for carrytreatment of hydrocarbons in a continuous cataingout this invention but not including the conlytic process. ventional preheating, fractionating and refining In carrying the invention into effect, a catal0 apparatus; lyst conveying means, such as a Redler conveyor Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fragment of of the loop type, is employed to move the catathe cracking zone in the region of the oil inlet; lyst through a cracking or reaction zone. The Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the regeneraconveyor lifts the catalyst against the oil vapors tion chamber interior showing the arrangement which flow generally downwardly but with a of catalyst ducts, flues, baffles and cooling tubes; stepwise to and fro transverse motion across the and vertical column of rising catalyst, thus affording Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the a substantially right angular flow of oil vapors tail portion of the conveyor. I with respect to the moving catalyst. Further- Referring .to Figs. 1 to 4 and speaking genermore, the oil vapors enter the cracking zone at a ally at first, the cracking apparatus comprises a point where the catalyst is least effective, i. e. cracking zone I, a catalyst purging chamber 2, contains greatest amount of poisons or contama catalyst regeneration chamber 3, and a second inants and cracked vapors leave the reaction purging and conditioning chamber 4. The crackzone at a point about where fresh catalyst enters ing zone I consists of two elongated fiues 5 carrythe reaction chamber. The catalyst which may ing a plurality of battles 6, constructed and arbe a solid siliceous material, a zeolite, coke, bauxranged on opposite sides of conveyor 1. Referite, clay or the like, is as indicated, during conng at t s point to Fig- 2 which shows an artact with heated hydrocarbon oil fluid, poisoned ransement o co v y r and n s co i w in or contaminated with a carbon containing matethe purview of this invention, the fiues 5 have rial and consequently requires regular reviviflhe me depth as the casing of conveyor 1, as cation after it has accumulated about 2% by shown- The walls 8 of the casing carry perforaweight or more of the poisons. tions 811, thus. permitting interfiow of oil vapors The poisoned catalyst leaving the cracking between fiues 5 and conveyor 1 carrying catazone is discharged into an inclined chute or casy In other W r fiues 5 and the conveyor ing where it may be purged to drive ofi volatile have o n Walls 8 Carrying p or o s 8a hydrocarbons and then passes downwardly by Which perforations m y be about t x" n i m- ,gravity through a regeneration chamber cometer and y be Spaced ap rt from center to prising a plurality of vertical ducts disposed becenter an inch r 0- tween bailled flues. A hot combustion support- The e o as a whole comprises a t il n ing gas flows generally upwardly but also later- 40 tion T, a main p n M. a head o o H a d a ally to and fro through the down flowing cata- L (See 1 4? be Seen from 8 lyst in a substantially right angular flow with 2 and 4, the conveyor consists essentially of a respect to the catalyst. The walls forming the casing or portion having four walls and may be of steel or cast iron construction. The catalyst ducts are perforated thus permitting I conveying element consists of a plurality of dethe combustion supporting gas to flow into and tachable U shaped flights H spaced apart and out of the catalyst ducts. The result of the treatconnected by links It (See Figs 2 and ment 0! the Po catalyst with the m The spent catalyst in cracking zone I is eletion supporting gas is to burn oil and/or oxidize vated by conveying flights H to the height of the catalyst poisons or contaminants -oo reservoir l4 into which it is discharged and the impairment of its efllciency. Fresh catalyst is flights N t pass over the sprockets m 1 collected at the bottom of the regeneration zone c t d in t h a portion K th pass through and after purging with superheated steam or the the return loop L, finally arriving at tail portion like, is discharged into the tail portion of the T beneath hopper I 8 for reloading with fresh conveyor and hoisted into the cracking zone as so catalyst.

Freshly prepared catalyst may be added to the system through manhole l6 of reservoir I, or undesired catalyst may be there withdrawn.

Purging chamber 2 is formed by elevatable gates land is and the portion of easing II therebetween. Purging gas inlet is in communication with valved conduit 2| leading into cracking zone I, as well as conduit I22 leading into purging chamber 2. It is seen from Fig. 1 that catalyst C may be admitted for purging by gravity flow into chamber 2 by elevating gate l8. After the purging operation, gate [8 is lowered until it divides or separates the catalyst in II from that in chamber 2, and then the gate I9 is elevated permitting flow of catalyst into regeneration chamber 3. When all of the catalyst has been discharged from chamber 2, gate I9 is again lowered and another charge of catalyst is admitted to the chamber 2 from reservoir I! for purging. Reservoir large to permit continuous discharge of catalyst from conveyor 1 since, as explained, the operation of chamber 2 in purging is on intermittently moving catalyst.

The catalyst discharged from the chamber 2 falls by gravity through regeneration chamber 3 in ducts 22, the flow being directed into said ducts by virtue'of crown pieces or caps-23. Each duct 22 is separated from the next duct by fines 24 carrying baiiles 25 (see Fig. 3). The vertical walls forming the catalyst ducts 22 carry perforations 36 throughout their length and breadth. These perforations may be about 1%" in diameter and spaced apart an inch or so, from center to center. Flues 24 earn; banks of tubes 26 through which water or some other cooling fluid may be circulated.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the regeneration chamber 3 is provided with a regeneration gas inlet 21, with recycle regeneration gas line 29 carrying pump 30 and' with discharge conduit 28 through which gaseous products or vapors not to be recycled are withdrawn from the system.

As indicated by the directional arrows in Figs. 1 and 3, the construction and arrangement of flues and baiiles causes a generally upwardly, but also to and fro transverse flow of regeneration gas through the downeoming catalyst.

A receiving vessel 4 forms a temporary repository for catalyst regenerated in chamber 3. The receiving vessel is provided with purging gas inlet 40. The purged catalyst is returned to the tail section T of conveyor 1 through hopper l5.

In order to give a specific example illustrating the present invention in actual operation, the following description is given with the explanation that the invention is not limited by the precise details of said specific example.

Heated hydrocarbon vapors from any conventional source are introduced in chamber 1 through valved conduit 50 near the top of the chamber. The hydrocarbon vapors may be a gas oil out heated to a temperature of about 820 F. or thereabouts. The heated vapors in the upper portion of fines 5 are caused by bailies 6 to flow laterally through the perforations 8a in the walls 8 of the conveyor easing into one side of the rising solid column of catalyst C and to flow out through the opposite perforated wall 8 into the opposite flue, thence reverse its direction and flow through the column of catalyst in the opposite direction, but at a lower level, into'the opposite flue. This type of flow continues through the whole length of the column of catalyst until finally the cracked products are withdrawn l4 should be sufliciently cracking chamber.

catalyst should be in the neighborhood of 800- 830 .F. and the pressure in the cracking zone should be about 5 lbs. persquare inch on the gauge, but, of course, good results can be obtained using lower pressures or considerably higher pressures.- It is advisable, though not necessary to introduce direct steam into the cracking zone as through pipes 20 and 2|. ThlS steam actually assists in the cracking reaction and further tends to counteract or prevent the tendency of oil vapors to ascend toward chamber l4. Furthermore, housing of loop portion L of conveyor I is preferably filled with steam admitted through inlet 52 and withdrawn through 53. This steam also forms a seal preventing the escape upwardly of oil vapors in the upper portions of flues 5.

Since the oil cracking reaction is endothermic, it is desirable to dispose banks of tubes (not shown) in flues 5 containing or flowing therethrough superheated steam and to cause the oil vapors to flow through said banks of tubes to compensate by heat transfer from the supreheat- 'ed steam for the heat lost during the cracking operation. The cracked vapor are withdrawn for fractionation through valved conduit 5|.

The column of catalyst proceeding upwardly is progressively contaminated by deposits resulting from the cracking operation until finally it .becomes necessary to regenerate it. The length of the catalyst column should be such that too great an amount of deposit was not present on the catalyst before it was removed from the That-is to say, eflicient operation may be achieved where the cracking zone is say 30 to 50 feet long. Furthermore, a catalyst column cross-sectional area of 2 feet by 4 feet gives good results.

The poisoned catalyst which has been lifted.

filled by lifting gate l8 to the height shown in Fig. 1, while gate I9 is lowered. When the chamber 2 is filled, gate It may be lowered. A purgi ng gas, such as superheated steam at a temperature of say between 700 F. to 830 F. is forced into chamber 2 through conduits 20 and 22 and withdrawn through exhaust line 60. Instead of using steam, flue gas, nitrogen, carbon dioxide or mixtures thereof may be used for purging.

Following purging, the catalyst is discharged into regeneration chamber 3 by raising gate I9. The catalyst falls through ducts 22 to a receiver 4. Meanwhile, air or some oxygen-containing gas .is admitted through line 21 into the bottom of the The regeneration gas flows through the perfora tions 36 in the walls of the catalyst ducts from the fines into the ducts and out again in a crosswise reversing flow. Arriving at about the region Where the inlet pipe 29 is attached to the regeneration chamber, the air or other gas is admixed with recycle gas consisting largely of carbon dioxide and steam. The admixture causes a reduction in the oxygen concentration of the regeneration gas to about more or less.

At about midway between the point where recycle gas enters chamber 3 and the products of combustion are withdrawn, the oxygen concentration should be about 5%, whereas near the top of the regeneration column, the oxygen concentration is about 2%. The advantage of this oxygen concentration gradient is that the most highly contaminated catalyst encounters a. low oxygen concentration, while toward the end of the regeneration a high oxygen concentration, say 20% or more, is encountered by the catalyst in removing the last traces of tar 'aterial or coke. The oxygen concentration of the regeneration may vary from 30% at the inlet to 10% at the outlet. It may be advisable to, in certain installations, provide two or more recycle gas inlets at various levels in regeneration chamber catalyst, combustion or oxidation or distillation.

sel, a continuous conveyor adapted to move up* wardly through said vessel for moving granular catalyst upwardly through said vessel, a gas inlet communicating'with the upper portion of said vessel, an outlet communicating with the lower portion of said vessel, 2. second vertical vessel including a casing containing a plurality of verof the poisons or contaminants of catalyst C during its passage through chamber 3. The tem-- (not shown) should be disposed in the fiues at several points through the length of the regen- 7 eration chamber and, based on such readings or indications, the temperature of the catalyst at any time during regeneration should be maintained below 1150 F'. in the case of most catalysts.

The gas pressure prevailing in the regenerator should be between 5 pounds per square inch and 140 pounds per square inch with about 40 pounds per'square inch preferred.

'Finally, the regenerated catalyst, which has fallen to chamber 4 is again purged and conditioned by superheated steam 'or the like introduced through valved conduit 49 and thereafter immediately discharged into hopper I 5 and thence directly into the tail of the Redler conveyor for reintroduction into the cracking chamber I.

Numerous modifications may be made in the invention as above disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the catalyst conveyor-need not be a Redler type, but might be a belt or bucket conveyor. The regeneration chamber 3 may be square, rectangular or circular in cross section. Furthermore, a powdered, granular or lump catalyst may be employegl. In the case where a powdered catalyst is employed, the perforations in the casing of the conveyor and the flue walls may require reduction in diameter to about 1 to M; of an inch. Various other modifications falling within the scope of the invention are permissible without depart-V ing from the spirit of the invention.

This case is filed as a division of my application Serial No. 265,388, filed April l,'1939, now U. 8. Patent No. 2,317,379, issued April 27, 1943, for Catalytic cracking.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the character described including in combination an elongated vertical ves- Number Name Date 964,342 Velilla July 12, 1910' 1,347,473 Dow July 20, 1912 1,359,301 Wettig Nov, 1.6, 1920' 1,707,930 Bennett Apr. 2, 1929 1,715,830 Glinka June 4, 1929 1,731,223 Brady Oct. 6, 1929 1,995,293 Clark Mar. 26, 1935 2,068,448 Cox Jan. 19, 1937 2,231,424 Huppke Feb. 11, 1941 2,239,801 Voorhees Apr. 29, 1941 2,265,837 Harding Dec. 9, 1941 2,277,361 Bonotto Mar. 24, 1942 2,282,453 Campbell May 1.2, 1942 2,290,580 Degnen et al. July 21, 1942 2,331,433 Simpson Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,045 Great Britain Aug, 24, 1911 41,572 Germany Dec. 5, 1887 276,738 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1927 533,037 Germany Sept. 8, 1931 tical shafts having perforated side walls, alternate shafts having caps on the top thereof, tubular means connecting the upper portion of said first vessel with the upper portion of said second vessel, a second inlet for introducing gas into the lower portion of said second vessel, hori- -zontal baffles arranged only in alternate capped vertical shafts to direct 'gas introduced through said second inlet to. flow transversely through the uncapped perforated vertical shafts, a sec- .ond outlet for removing gas from the upper portion of said secondvessel and tubular means connecting the bottom portions of said vessels.

2. An apparatus of the character described including in combination an elongated vertical vessel, a continuous conveyor adapted to move upwardly through said vessel for moving granular material upwardly through said vessel, means for supplying gaseous fluid to an upper portion of said' vessel, means for withdrawing gaseous fluid .from a lower portion of said vessel, a second vertical vessel comprising a casing containing a plurality of vertical shafts having perforated side walls, alternate shaftshaving caps. on the tops thereof, tubular means connecting the top of said first vessel with the upper portion of-said second vertical vessel, means for supplying gaseous fluid to said vertical shafts, bafliemeans arranged only tubes.

CHARLES E. HEMMINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,459/i25. January 18, 1949.

CHARLES E. HEMMIN GER It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 41, claim 2, strike out Serial No. 265,388, filed April 1, 1939, now and insert instead of said second vessel, said capped vertical;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of November, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

